Album Review: Pray For Sound – Dreamer

Boston instrumental post-rock band Pray For Sound recently released their debut full length album Dreamer. Combining serene ambience with more hook-oriented riffs, this instrumental album is one that leaves no room for boredom. While a lotof bands in the post-rock genre tend to be too lethargic to effectively get their points across, Pray For Sound has an energy and and creativity that goes beyond the build-ups or crescendos. Each song follows its own path and has its own feelings, given in its name and felt in its vibrations.

“Sleeper” opens up in a melancholy state with atmospheric guitar, only to bring in a soft, swaying sense of hopefulness that is felt much more strongly on “Decayer.” An initially furious entrance smoothly transitions into billowing mix of ebowed guitars and reverb. The following guitar work is even more superb, complementary high and low riffs make for epic dynamics that go through explosion after explosion as if mirroring the surface of the sun. With equally aggressive drum beats and fills, the second track sets a high bar for the rest of the record. The next track, “Sonder,” continues to create a huge wall of sound and emotions, while churning through no shortage of creative riffs.

After re-introducing their softer state in “Dreamer,” the band brings in the biggest whirlwind of the record, “Conceiver.” This track swirls and bends before sweeping you off your feet like the feelings it induces. The guitar tone is killer, and the band jams hard at the songs peak for a colossal minute ending. “Mourner” has a softly trudging drum beat accompanied by viola and vocalists who never say a word, simply adding their voices as yet another instrument amidst the beautiful, elevating orchestra. “Day Bringer” ends the album on a somber note, with city sounds layered behind a pulsing drum beat, more infectious vocals, and keyboard, Dreamer ends as solemnly as it came in.

Pray For Sound’s latest release is a strong debut full length, and somehow each song has the ability to make you feel or remember a time or place in your past. The striking chords and overall powerful tone reflects on how intensely these emotions are felt, and the lack of lyrics only make those emotions feel more pure. Dreamer takes flight and provides an amazing ride, leaving your state of mind to determine each listen.